


Sleep? Oh, those slices of death...

by WhatATime



Series: I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Damian Wayne-centric, Dick doesn't have a major part (I'm being honest), Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Gen, His father gives him one, Hurt/Comfort, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Mute Damian Wayne, Muteness, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 23:28:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17110172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatATime/pseuds/WhatATime
Summary: It’s not real. It’s never real. Just tricks of the mind. People can’t see in the dark. So why would he see things in the dark. It’s not rational. One always had to be. So, no, there was nothing here, there, or in the distance. At least, if there was, he wouldn’t be able to see it. His saving grace: reason.





	Sleep? Oh, those slices of death...

**Author's Note:**

> This is the next part of the story!

It’s not real. It’s never real. Just tricks of the mind. People can’t see in the dark. So why would he see things in the dark. It’s not rational. One always had to be. So, no, there was nothing here, there, or in the distance. At least, if there was, he wouldn’t be able to see it. His saving grace: reason. 

 

Damian crossed the bedroom his father gave him to the door, wanting to sigh as he exited it. He was too old to be seeing phantoms. He made everything so real. The senses were not on his side thanks to Him. He silently padded through the hallway to the cave.

 

After turning the hands on the clock, he walked down the stairs. His father, Tim, and Dick were huddled around the computer. The file was concerning patterns of robberies. They didn’t acknowledge his presence, but at least his father had to know he was there. 

 

Damian went over to the medbay. He’d sometimes look through things and name all of the appliances. His bandages from his last surprise party with Ra’s’ men were due for a change that morning. It was technically morning, the time being somewhere around three. He’d practically gotten the tendons in his lower leg sliced off. Not limping was quite painful, but he found some way to make it do-able. 

 

Maybe he’d go to the music room and tune an instrument. That was always fun. 

 

“No.” 

 

Damian didn’t turn to look, but he knew his father was the one to utter the definitive answer. This was because of the ‘But, Bruce’ that came from Dick and Tim after. Their footsteps were a bit more pronounced as they walked over to Damian. He wasn’t sure if that was to warn him of their impending arrival or smite his father.

 

“What’re you doing up?” Dick sat down by him on the floor along with Tim on his other side. 

Damian had force himself to stay still and not bust out of the room.  _ Aren’t you supposed to be in Bludhaven? _

Dick smirked. “You didn’t miss me?” 

Damian tried not to be one for missing people. He was above such childish things. He unwrapped the bandage on his leg easily. 

“It’s kinda late to be up right now.” 

Damian shrugged as he discarded the dirty dressings. He knew Dick was trying to think up something. He couldn’t figure out what though. 

“Have a nightmare?” 

He shook his head. Damian’d had nightmares before. Tonight was not one of those nights. It was a kind he had much more often. The kind where he couldn’t get to sleep in the first place.  _ You’re up right now. _

“That’s cause we’re doing stuff.” 

Yep, they were arguing over trivial things. 

“Have you talked to Jay recently?” 

 

They always asked him that whenever Jason disappeared. He was disappearing more often recently. It wasn’t like he dropped in regularly. He came at any time it suited his mood. As of late, it often didn’t suit. Damian shook his head. He didn’t enjoy bothering the young man. Being burdensome was always a worry of his.

 

“Have you called?” Maybe they did miss him. 

Damian cleaned the cut with peroxide.

“Red Hood’s still patrolling,” Tim voiced. He must be avoiding them then. Figured. Jason found the family smothering at times. He was most likely pouting though. The man pouted better than a five year old. 

 

Dick handed him the Neosporin. 

 

Damian applied it sparingly so that the bandages would still stick. He wasn’t surprised when Tim dropped the roll in his hands. Whatever they had planned, he did not want to be around for it. Damian quickly wrapped his leg and stood. 

 

“You shouldn’t be walking on that,” Tim said.

He rolled his eyes. 

“How are you even walking? They cut the Gastrocnemius muscle.” If Tim didn’t stop messing with him, he was going to cut a certain muscle of Tim’s. 

“Dick,” Bruce called.

The young man left them for Bruce while Tim and Damian went up the stairs.

 

“That can’t be good. It’ll heal more slowly.” 

_ Haven’t you a lustful letter from Ra’s to read or something? _

Tim sniffled. Was he sick? 

“What?” 

It could be allergies. Damian wanted to know though. Damian was pulled from his path to the music room into Tim’s. 

The young man pushed him onto the bed. “Stay.” Tim left for the bathroom. 

Damian frowned. He was not to be ordered around like a common pup. He inspected Tim’s room. It was cleaner than usual, probably the butler’s doing. He picked up the book strewn on the floor. College reading, he suspected. Tim’s messy notes were scrabbled in the margins. Red Robin’s penmanship was absolutely terrible. 

 

Tim came back out with wet hair and new clothing. “Keep me company?” 

Damian nodded as Tim sat by him with his laptop. 

“Batma--Bruce thinks that there’s some connection between Black Mask and some recent robberies in the meatpacking district or something.” He typed rapidly. “Dick and I think the next location is here, but Bruce insists that he’s not going to hit that or whatever. Then we suggested that we split. He hated that idea, without Jason helping of course. But he’s like out and stuff, so…” Tim sniffled as he finished typing. 

 

The printer hummed as papers came out of it. Damian rose to get it. Tim’s paper was on there. Of course the college student multitasked like his father. 

 

“Wouldn’t blame Jason for skipping though. Bruce has been _ insufferable  _ as of late.” Tim took the papers and stapled them. He sniffled again. “You should go butter him up for us or something.” Tim put the papers in a folder.

_ How would you suggest I do that? _

“Go give him a hug or something. He likes them more than he’ll admit.” 

Damian sent him an incredulous look. 

“Really.” Tim nudged him towards the door. Why did they always insist on using him? “You’re cute.”

_ I’m not cute. _

“Okay, you’re not cute.”

 

Damian rolled his eyes as he left the room. He tiptoed over to his father’s. 

 

The man was in the bed reading files. He wasn’t under the covers just yet. “Damian?” 

He peeked his head inside the lamp lit room. 

“Did you need something?” 

He shook his head, trying not to stand awkwardly in the doorway of the room he never entered. “You can come in.” 

Damian did as his father

His father patted the spot next to him. 

Damian cautiously sat down. Nothing flickered much whenever he was by his father. Probably the doing of Him. He unconsciously cuddled up to his father. 

The man wrapped an arm around him. It was similar to the way Jason did it, but Jason’s grip was tighter. He began to drift off after the first few minutes. An hour later, the lamp clicked, and his father pulled the covers under and over him. 

Damian found sleep soon after.

 

**BONUS STUFF that I can’t fit into the story, but y’all need to see ‘cause it’s cute:**

“That is the coolest thing,” Tim exclaimed quietly to Bruce.

“What is?” Bruce came over to the sofa.

“Look at this.” He gently rubbed a circle into Damian’s middle. A small click of the tongue came from the boy. 

Bruce’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“Jay showed me. I could’ve sworn he was joking.” Bruce did the same Tim did. Damian’s tongue clicked again. “Cool, isn’t it?” 

Bruce nodded, his hand remained on Damian’s abdomen. “Does he know he does it?”

“I don’t know.” 

Damian’s head rested on Tim’s thigh. He’d been helping with Damian’s leg. 

Bruce patted Damian’s middle before removing his hand. 

“I gotta go to class. It’s in like an hour.” Tim slid from under Damian and left. 

Bruce sat down by the slumbering child soldier. His face was fully relaxed. Bruce’s hand hovered over the boy’s forehead. 

Damian leaned into the touch, clicking his tongue before rolling over onto Bruce. The man couldn’t help but smile. 

**Author's Note:**

> Be expecting two more stories later today and a holiday special to be posted X-Mas Eve.
> 
> My Tumblr is whambamthanksbatfam.tumblr.com
> 
> [I take fic requests for ficlets on there]


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